Gardening Granny's Gardening Pages: September 2015

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

September 29, 2015, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter

September 29, 2015, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter © Kim Willis

http://www.examiner.com/gardening-in-detroit/kimberley-willis

http://www.examiner.com/country-living-in-detroit/kimberley-willis

Hi Gardeners

One full window

I spent the weekend moving my most vulnerable houseplants back inside- some 40 of them and I still have the hardier plants like geraniums to move back in and I estimate that’s about 30 more pots. I’ll be moving those inside in the next couple days. It’s a major undertaking but I love my houseplants. If you haven’t moved your houseplants inside better hurry. It’s going to get cold this week. Frost isn’t predicted for the next few days, but temps below 40 are- and a clear, calm night with radiational cooling may just get down to frost level- which doesn’t have to be freezing by the way. At least bring in the tropical plants and very tender perennials.

One of the biggest plants I had to move is my brugmansia. In March it was a tiny plant in a 2 inch pot. Now it’s a huge 4 foot tall plant covered in blooms in a huge pot. Finding a spot for it was hard. We have a cage full of parakeets in the living room now and the plant had to be far enough from them so they couldn’t possibly nibble it since it’s poisonous. But it still needs good light. The big window in the living room also has to have the other big pots, hibiscus, lemon tree, huge dracaena in it. I ended up buying a floor lamp with what is called a “sunlight” bulb and putting that over the brugmansia. I’m not real thrilled with the brightness of the light- we’ll see how the plant reacts. I do love

The brugmansia, still gorgeous.

the wonderful smell of the brugmansia flowers in the evening.

Every window in my house has plants, or will have them soon as I finish bringing them in. The porch holds things like tuberous begonias, pineapple lilies, rain lilies and so on that go dormant after a while plus my huge rosemary plant and the overflow of geraniums. Right now it also has a bunch of small spider plants that need to go somewhere. I planted my large spider plants in a big tub outside this year where they looked great. But they let down some tiny spider plant babies that rooted in the soil beneath the big tub. I couldn’t leave them to die. I also have a ton of cuttings and plant starts from the purple leaved filler plant Setcreasea pallida 'Purple Heart'. This plant produces tons of foliage stems but it’s very brittle and very hard to move or transplant without breaking off the long shoots. I must have a bushel basket of the stems in water right now. The “mother” plant looks a bit ragged right now but I have no doubt it will quickly re-grow. See an article about Purple Heart below.

I harvested my Japanese Hull-less popcorn yesterday. It still needs to dry a bit more before we attempt to pop it and see if the hulls are really absent. I am also harvesting a good crop of fall raspberries. I am keeping my eye on several nice watermelons in the garden, hoping they ripen before frost. I have a ton of small yellow winged gourds, the only gourds that grew from a mixed seed packet. The Jerusalem artichokes are blooming. Maximilian sunflowers, mums, dahlias, sweet autumn clematis, heliopsis, some landscape roses and the tall lovely “Only the Lonely” nicotiana are keeping the remaining annuals company.

Leaves are rapidly falling from the poplars and walnut trees and the other trees are really starting to show their colors. There’s a huge crop of acorns and walnuts this year. Maybe the squirrels won’t need to invade my porch and eat my geraniums this winter.

The birds are leaving soon, maybe tomorrow

Today is a transition day weather-wise as a cold front moves in. I can feel the wind through my office window has shifted to out of the north. Tonight and tomorrow night we will probably see a massive migration of birds from here going south. Birds are often triggered to migrate by a cold front and low pressure system moving into an area. A north “tail” wind speeds them on their way. Many species migrate at night, clouds of silent birds passing through the moonlit skies. In the day time the birds stop to feed and rest and birders may get to see many new species passing through the area. On September 20^th this year birders reported large flocks of birds migrating through the night. On the 19^th a mild cold front had occurred. This front will be stronger and colder.

Cedar waxwings stay well into fall. sometimes through winter.

Birds that leave our area and go south are red winged blackbirds, grackles, robins, bluebirds, orioles, swallows, most warblers, some sparrows and finches, most hawks and other birds of prey, turkey vultures, most ducks and other waterfowl, herons, and hummingbirds. A few stragglers of all species may stay late into fall, or even all winter. Not all birds leave in mass migrations after cold fronts, some leave at various other times, some singly or in small groups also. Some are already long gone, such as the killdeer, which leave at the end of August.

In Michigan birds often follow flyways that skirt the shores of the Great Lakes when they migrate. Great birding spots can be found at Whitefish Point bird observatory in Paradise in the UP, Lake Erie Metro Park, Pointe Mouillee State Game Area and Rouge River Bird Observatory in the eastern Detroit area, Tawas Point at Tawas Point State Park on Lake Huron, Sand Point near Caseville, Port Austin State park, Fish Point wildlife area between Unionville and Sebewaing, Wild Fowl Bay State park in the Saginaw bay on Middle Grounds Island. On the west side of the state Ludington and Muskegon State parks are good for birders.

A few birds will be returning to Michigan from points farther north this fall instead of leaving. Michigan Audubon will host its annual Crane Fest at the Environmental Interpretive Center, Baker Sanctuary, University of Michigan-Dearborn at 4901 Evergreen Road, Dearborn on October 10-11^th. Hundreds of people gather each year to watch sandhill cranes return to the sanctuary. The sanctuary is about six miles northwest of the intersection of I-94 and I-69. The festival runs each day from noon until dark. Festival activities include speakers, nature exhibits, an art fair, and fall themed food concessions as well as watching hundreds of cranes fly back home. The best crane viewing is usually 5 pm until dark. Admission is free but there is a small fee for parking. For more information go to: http://www.cranefest.org/

Other birds that use Michigan as their “south” will be showing up at bird feeders soon. This includes white throated and tree sparrows, junco’s, Northern Goshawk, Snowy Owls, Red Breasted nuthatch, Brown creepers, Golden Crowned kinglets, Snow buntings, purple finches, and pine siskins.

So fill up those seed and suet feeders and get ready for a new season of birds. If you don’t feed the birds all summer, starting now with feeding will help some species fuel up for the long flight south and attract those arriving from the north. You may get to see some unusual species as they migrate through at your feeders. Other good places to look for fall migrants other than the observation points mentioned above include ponds, lakes and wetlands, and areas with lots of berries or standing fruit.

I personally keep my hummingbird feeders filled until the end of September. I saw a hummingbird Thursday, the 24^th but haven’t seen any since. I suspect they may have left before the cold front rush, smart birds. I saw turkey vultures yesterday and heard robins, so those birds have yet to leave. The robins usually don’t leave here until they have stripped the Autumn Olives of their berries.

Growing Purple Heart or Setcreasea pallida

Purple Heart is an easy to grow, pretty plant that has a variety of uses. It’s purple and pink toned foliage and trailing stems makes it a good “filler” or “spiller” in containers or hanging baskets. It makes a good houseplant too. The purple foliage tones go particularly well when combined with golden leaved plants. Setcreasea pallida is also known as Tradescantia pallida in older references and common names include spider plant (we have far too many plants named this) and purple spiderwort.

Purple Heart in a container.

In its native Mexico Purple Heart is a rather invasive ground cover and it can perform that function here too. It’s only hardy to planting zone 7 and then only when well protected. But since it grows rapidly gardeners in colder zones could plant it in spring for good ground cover by mid-summer.

Purple Heart is purchased as a plant. Seed is almost never produced or available but the plant is very easy to start from cuttings. The stems of Purple Heart are succulent and sprawling, with prominent leaf joints, up to 18 inches long, and are purple or violet in color. The leaves clasp the stem and are narrow and pointed. Leaves range in color from purple to pink and may be variegated in various colors of pink, purple, violet and lavender. Color of the foliage is best in brighter light conditions. Tiny, pink flowers appear on branch tips occasionally.

Care of Purple Heart

Pink variegation of Purple Heart.

Purple Heart is extremely forgiving of most conditions and most gardeners should have no trouble growing it- and sharing it with friends. It will grow in full sun or partial shade. In the house Purple Heart should have bright light conditions to keep the plant from getting spindly. It likes even, regular watering, but its succulent characteristics make it able to survive short dry conditions. Containers or soil that Purple Heart is planted in should be well draining, because too moist conditions will rot the roots and stems. If you want even more abundant, rapid growth give it a light feeding of all-purpose garden fertilizer several times a year.

Purple Heart has few insect or disease problems although it may be eaten by slugs and snails outside. Purple Hearts biggest drawback is its succulent stems which break off easily. They grow back quickly in good conditions but it makes the plant a chore to move or transplant. You’ll want to keep it out of windy areas or places where it is frequently bumped. You can pinch off the tips of long shoots to make the plant branch more, but the shorter plant stems are still quick to snap off. Prune it to any length you need to keep it out of the way.

Purple Heart flower.

Purple Heart will root incredibly easily so all of those broken stems and pinched off tips don’t need to be wasted. Stick them in a pot of moist soil, with at least one leaf joint under the soil and you should have plants to share in no time. Instead of bringing in a large plant for the winter you may want to bring in cuttings. Be aware when handling Purple Heart stems that some people get mild rash/reaction from the fluid that leaks out.

As a plant that grows easily and can be shared easily too, Purple Heart is a winner for containers outside or a trailing houseplant inside.

Decorating with gourds

Gourds are abundant and inexpensive and they may be your solution to a holiday decorating dilemma. Gourds can be used in a variety of ways for the holidays and your imagination is the only limit. Gourds are safe, natural decorations and can usually be bought locally, making them a “green” choice.

There are many types of gourds; from huge bushel basket size round gourds to tiny colorful crescent shaped ones. Gourds and pumpkins are closely related, but gourds have thinner flesh that dries better than pumpkins. Small pumpkins can be used for temporary decorating, but they usually mold or rot instead of drying nicely like gourds.

Selecting gourds

Start by picking gourds that appeal to you or that give you immediate ideas for decorating. If they aren’t dry yet, you will need to give them a couple of weeks of drying time before cutting them or painting them, but they can be used fresh in baskets or bowls for immediate color. If you are growing gourds they are ready to pick when they detach easily from the vine. Light frost won’t hurt the gourds but pick them before a freeze. If you can let them dry naturally on the vine it’s great, but if fall weather is cool and rainy they may dry better indoors.

Wipe newly acquired gourds with one of the bleach saturated kitchen wipes or with a cloth dipped in a solution of 1/3 cup bleach to 1 cup water. Then dry with a clean cloth. This helps prevent mold. To dry gourds place them in a spot that’s bright and warm, but not in direct sunlight. Gourds are dry when you can hear the seeds rattling around inside. If you cut into the gourd for your decorative idea, remove the seeds. Otherwise it’s fine to leave them inside.

A glue gun and a drill with hole cutting attachments will help you turn your gourds into exciting decorating items. Gourds can be painted with acrylic craft paints if the natural color isn’t suitable. A clear acrylic craft sealer will keep colors fresh and help prevent gourds from molding or rotting.

A simple way to use gourds is to pile attractive colored gourds in a basket or dish. Dried flowers or artificial flowers can be tucked in the container, as well as such things as pine cones, nuts and seed pods.

Larger gourds can have holes drilled in them large enough to accept small vases, or votive candle holders. Never put water directly in gourds or use candles in them without glass or metal holders. Dried or artificial flowers can be inserted directly into dried gourds. Larger holes could hold candy or snack bowls.

Cutting gourds with a drill and attachment can be tricky, put the drill on a low speed to avoid cracking and splitting. Draw guidelines or a pattern on the gourd to guide you and practice on less desirable gourds until you master the skill. Some people drill a small hole and then cut out the rest of the hole with a knife or small hand saw.

Gourds can be painted but make sure the gourd is thoroughly dry before painting or mold is likely to develop. Place them in a warm place to dry after painting. Paint helps protect the gourd, but you may also want to spray or brush on a clear sealer coat.

A glue gun can help you bind two or more gourds together. A space left in the center can hold a vase for fresh flowers, or a dried arrangement. Glue guns can also attach small gourds to larger ones, if both gourds are dry. To attach fresh gourds to each other use short pieces of toothpicks or wooden skewers. Small screws can also be used with fresh or dried gourds.

Your gourds can last several years if properly stored. Wrap them in unprinted paper, not plastic and store in a dry location. Newspaper or other printed paper may transfer print to the gourd’s surface. Plastic may hold too much moisture and cause mold.

Gourds can make good Christmas or even spring decorations as well as Thanksgiving or Halloween décor, you just need to change the colors. Here are a few more suggestions.

Cut the top off a large round gourd to form a bowl shape. Paint the gourd brown or add a sealer to protect the natural color. Place a plastic bowl inside and fill with cheese corn or caramel corn. Paint the gourd red or green and add a bowl of colorfully wrapped chocolate kisses, tiny candy canes or other candy. Small round gourds could hold a cupcake paper full of candy.

Paint a round gourd deep blue and pile it full of small, gold glass Christmas “balls”. Or make it forest green and gild pinecones with gold paint or glitter and fill the bowl. Handles can be attached or a clever person can carve the handle out of the top of the bowl instead of cutting straight across.

Several small gourds glued together can hold a place card, or a rolled napkin. They can form a tripod for a single small pumpkin, a pretty glass Christmas ornament, or votive candle.

Odd shaped gourds can be painted to resemble snakes, penguins, swans, lizards, mice or whatever your imagination comes up with. Painted small gourds can actually be hung on the Christmas tree for natural ornaments. Drill a hole at the top and insert a ribbon or wire to hang them.

Taller gourds make excellent vases. You may need to glue a small piece of wood on the bottom to make them sit flat. Prescription pill containers or plastic cups make good liners to hold water for fresh flowers. Fill the gourd with dry rice to anchor dried or artificial flower arrangements.

Gourds and your creative mind will make holiday decorating a snap.

Fall leaves are your gift from nature

Tree leaves are nature’s gift to you each fall. All summer long the tree has been drawing nutrients from the soil and creating food from sunlight and now some of those nutrients are in each of those leaves decorating your lawn. You can choose to throw those nutrients away, spending hours of time raking and bagging them, or worse, using a gas guzzling, noisy, emission spewing leaf blower to move them somewhere else. Or you can choose to keep nature’s gift and return those valuable nutrients to your soil.

Some people worry that if they let leaves lay on the lawn they will smother the grass. It is true that a heavy, thick layer of wet leaves can cause some patches of lawn to die. Nature seldom lets this happen because the leaves get stirred around by fall and winter winds and rarely make thick layers in a natural situation. If this worries you or you don’t like the “messy” look of leaves on the lawn the solution is simple. On a dry day get your lawn mower, preferably with a mulching blade, set it to mow about 3 inches high and make a couple passes over your lawn.

Leaves that are cut into small pieces by the mower will settle into the lawn and soon be decomposed, returning those captured nutrients to the soil and the trees that shed the leaves. In a very short time you will never know they were there. You can wait until all the leaves have fallen, or mow every few days, depending on how many leaves you are given.

There is one good reason to rake leaves and that is to use them for compost or organic improvement for your vegetable and flower beds. Better yet, use the bagged leaves your neighbors have spent all that labor on and just mow yours. Leaves can go directly into compost piles, whole or shredded. They can also be piled on bare vegetable beds. Leaves can be left in those plastic bags and stored dry somewhere to add to compost piles in the spring and summer when dry matter is needed to balance wet matter.

Before using leaves to mulch dormant perennials, most leaves should be shredded. Oak leaves and leaves that are very small already, such as honey locust leaves, are an exception. They can be used “as is.” Other leaves may matt and mold if used whole and in quantity. You can buy leaf shredders or you can place a layer of leaves in a large trash can, insert a “weed wacker” and chop them up. Wear safety goggles and keep your face away from the can opening if you do this in case foreign objects were in the leaves. Shredded leaves can be used generously to mulch perennial beds.

If you are thinking of building a new flower or vegetable bed in a turf area next spring the smothering effect of large amounts of whole leaves can be used to your advantage. Outline your new bed, mow the existing vegetation as short as possible and pile on the leaves, a foot or more high. You may want to lay some fence wire or burlap across the leaves and weigh it down to keep the wind from stealing your leaves over the winter.

Never throw a gift away. Nature gave you the leaves so use them wisely.

I'm glad everyone survived the blood moon.

Kim Willis

“He who has a garden and a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero

Events, classes and other offerings

Please let me know if there is any event or class that you would like to share with other gardeners. These events are primarily in Michigan but if you are a reader from outside of Michigan and want to post an event I’ll be glad to do it.

Do you have plants or seeds you would like to swap or share? Post them here by emailing me.

Four inch pots of spider plant (house plant) absolutely free. Also cuttings of Purple Heart. If you want one contact me, (Kim)

An interesting Plant Id page you can join on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/groups/623997204362467/?fref=nf

Here’s a seed/plant sharing group you can join on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/groups/875574275841637/

Here’s a facebook page link for gardeners in the Lapeer area

https://www.facebook.com/groups/118847598146598/

Here’s a link to classes being offered at Campbell’s Greenhouse, 4077 Burnside Road, North Branch. Now open.

http://campbellsgreenhouses.com/garden-center/classes-events/

Here’s a link to classes and events at Nichols Arboretum, Ann Arbor

http://www.lsa.umich.edu/mbg/happening/calendar.asp?date=5/18/2015

Here’s a link to programs being offered at English Gardens, several locations in Michigan.

http://www.englishgardens.com/events

Here’s a link to classes at Telly’s Greenhouse in Troy and Shelby Twsp. MI, and now combined with Goldner Walsh in Pontiac MI.

http://tellys.com/system/files/Tellys_WinterSpringGuide_Web-2015.pdf

Here’s a link to classes and events at Bordines, Rochester Hills, Grand Blanc, Clarkston and Brighton locations

http://www.bordines.com/events/

Here’s a link to events at the Leslie Science and Nature Center, 1831 Traver Road Ann Arbor, Michigan | Phone 734-997-1553 |

http://www.lesliesnc.org/

Here’s a link to events at Hidden Lake Gardens, 6214 Monroe Rd, Tipton, MI

http://hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu/events

Here’s a link to all the nature programs being offered at Seven Ponds Nature center in Dryden, Michigan. http://www.sevenponds.org/education/progs/springprograms/

Here’s a link to events and classes at Fredrick Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids Mi

http://www.meijergardens.org/learn/ (888) 957-1580, (616) 957-1580

info@meijergardens.org

Newsletter information

If you would like to pass along a notice about an educational event or a volunteer opportunity please send me an email before Tuesday of each week and I will print it. Also if you have a comment or opinion you’d like to share, send it to me. Please state that you want to have the item published in my weekly notes. You must give your full name and what you say must be polite and not attack any individual. I am very open to ideas and opinions that don’t match mine but I do reserve the right to publish what I want.

I write this because I love to share with other gardeners some of the things I come across in my research each week. It keeps me engaged with local people and horticulture. It’s a hobby, basically. I hope you enjoy it. If at any time you don’t wish to receive these emails just let me know. If you know anyone who would like to receive these emails have them send their email address to me. KimWillis151@gmail.com

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

September 22, 2015, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newslette

September 22, 2015, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter © Kim Willis

http://www.examiner.com/gardening-in-detroit/kimberley-willis

http://www.examiner.com/country-living-in-detroit/kimberley-willis

Hi Gardeners

Display Garden at Suncrest - Lapeer Mi.

Tomorrow is the official start of fall, the autumn equinox where the hours of daylight and darkness are roughly even. In earlier European history there was always a celebration of harvest called Harvest Home around the time of the autumn equinox. In many place it was a time when the farm workers finally got paid for a year’s work. Imagine working all year for that one paycheck.

While some North American crops like wheat have already been harvested, many won’t be harvested for another few weeks. Our farmers are still pretty busy. Maybe that’s why our autumn celebrations tend to occur later in October and at Thanksgiving.

The trees are definitely turning colors. It looks like it may be a nice year for autumn color. Trees respond to the shortening of daylight hours and cooler temperatures and produce “hormones” that signal leaves to first change color, then fall off. It’s a beautiful time of year but also a little sad because all of us old northerners know what’s coming next.

I’m not a person who likes to re-arrange and change my household furnishings and décor often but as autumn comes I always have to re-arrange things so that I can bring my plants inside. It always looks so nice, if a bit crowded when I have all my potted plants back inside. I like the jungle effect.

But each year some plants get bigger, requiring a bigger pot and taking more space. And of course I add things every year too. My window space is not enough to give each plant its needed light so I have added several grow lights here and there. This year a big cage of parakeets is also sharing living room space. I keep canaries in my home office. So my winter indoors is filled with green and flowering plants and birds singing and chirping. It makes winter much more bearable. You should try it.

This week I decided to focus on drying things since it is the harvest season.

All things dried and beautiful

This is the time to gather and dry things, like herbs, seeds and flowers. The warm, dry sunny days will soon be over. Chose a stretch of warm sunny weather, like we are having this week, to harvest things you want to dry. Most things should be harvested before frost, although a few things can still be harvested after a frost or even a freeze. Besides food, you may want to dry some flowers or collect interesting seed heads to use as decorations.

Drying is a very old method of preserving food. Even meat and fleshy fruits like pumpkins and apples were dried to preserve them. In earlier times the sun and sometimes fire or smoke were used to dry foods and decorations. We now have some other methods of drying food and decorations but the sun and a warm spot by the fire are still good choices too.

Herb drying

Culinary sage.

Herbs can be dried in a number of ways. You can hang small bunches of herbs in a warm, dry, dark place. You can place them in a paper bag and leave them in your car, sitting in the sun. You can dry herbs in a dehydrator if it has a low setting. You can also dry some herbs on trays in the sun, although herbs retain their flavors better if dried in the dark.

You can dry herbs in the microwave if you use caution. Place small amounts of a leafy herb on a paper plate, cover with a paper towel to absorb moisture. Microwave in short time spans, 30 seconds at a time, checking between each burst of microwaving. When they are dry and crispy they are done. Don’t microwave too long or you’ll start a fire or scorch the herbs.

Herbs can also be dried by immersing them in salt or sugar. This works best if leaves are removed from stems. Put a layer of salt or sugar in a container then a layer of herbs, a layer of salt or sugar and so on. Put the herbs in a single layer without crowding them. Use salt to preserve herbs you use in meat dishes, soups and stews. Use sugar to preserve herbs that might be used in baking or desserts like lavender.

You can shift the dried herbs out of the salt or sugar and store them separately. Save the salt or sugar because it will taste and smell like the herbs dried in it and can be used in cooking. You can also crumble the herbs and leave them in the salt or sugar and use that in cooking.

Seed drying

You may want to dry seeds to save and plant next year or to use in cooking. It’s always best to let seeds remain on the plant as long as possible. If you must cut seed pods/heads before they are brown and ripe place them in paper bags in small bunches and let them dry further in a warm, dry location. Once seed pods open or seed heads are very dry you can remove the individual seeds from them. The seeds usually require a bit more drying before storage.

The best way to dry a small amount of seeds is to spread them in a single layer in the sun or in a warm dark location. If the seeds are fleshy or still wet put them on a piece of screen instead of paper so they won’t stick to the paper as they dry. Protect drying seeds from birds and animals. You can dry seeds in a dehydrator too. Don’t use high heat on any seeds you are saving to plant or you will damage the plant embryo. Certainly you won’t want to microwave these.

Large seeds like beans, nuts and acorns can be stored in baskets or other containers to dry. Containers that allow airflow like wicker baskets or crates with gaps are best. It will take longer to dry these. Remove the hulls from walnuts and hickories before storage. When dry nutmeats will be firm and dry in texture, not milky or soft.

Drying fruits and vegetables

A modern dehydrator works wonders on these. However the older methods still work too. Wash and inspect the fruits and vegetables first. Cut out bad areas, and discard produce that’s mushy or moldy. Slice fruits and vegetables thinly and remove seeds. Some people peel things like carrots and apples before drying them, others do not. Always wash produce even if you peel it, because bacteria will contaminate the product as you peel it if it’s dirty.

If you don’t use a dehydrator the fruits and vegetables can be strung on string or wire and allowed to dry in a warm, protected place. Or they can be spread on a screen in the sun and covered with a layer of cheesecloth to keep insects away. Juicy fruits like apples and raspberries need to be inspected frequently and any moldy fruits removed. It sometimes helps to turn these over part way through drying. Drying without a dehydrator will take several days, depending on the conditions and what is being dried.

If you have an oven that has a low heat (below 200 degrees F.) or warming setting you can dry fruits and vegetables in it. They should be sliced thin and arranged in a single layer on trays. Never leave the home or go to bed while they are drying in the oven. It can take 12 hours or more to dry things this way so plan accordingly.

When food is thoroughly dried it should be stored in clean glass containers with tight lids. Canning jars work well. Food grade plastic containers can also be used.

Drying flowers and decorative seedpods or seedheads

Flowers need more care to dry than herbs if you want them to look good. Some flowers like statice, baby’s breath and strawflowers will dry naturally and keep their shape and color pretty well. These you can gather in loose bunches and hang in a dry warm area to dry. Your car trunk works well on these too. It creates a nice hot dark area to dry flowers without bleaching the color out.

Hydrangea flowers dry nicely for arrangements.

You can stand flower heads or seed pods of things like Japanese lanterns, money plant, hydrangeas, grass seedheads, cattails and so on in containers in a warm dark place like a closet or attic until they dry. Don’t crowd them. Or hang them in loose bunches.

Other flowers like roses and daisies can be dried in something like silica gel or borax. This is a time consuming and delicate process but it preserves the color and shape of the flowers. You can find the products in craft stores and they will have directions on how to use them.

You can also press flowers and dry them for use in crafts. If you have a large heavy book like a family bible or old encyclopedias a few flowers can be pressed and dried in the pages. Or you can build or buy a flower press. These flowers will be flattened and will probably lose some of their natural color.

Basically to press dry flowers you place flowers between two sheets of white tissue paper and then weigh them down. This can be in the pages of a book or under a stack of books or in a flower press. Small flowers with single layers of petals work best. Don’t use newspaper or colored paper to wrap the flowers in as it may leave ink colors on the flowers. It will take a month or more to dry the flowers.

Other things to dry for potpourri

Dried rose hips look pretty in potpourri

Potpourri is a mixture of dry things which smell nice and have visual appeal. If you like to make potpourri you may want to dry things like orange and lemon rinds, small pinecones, bay leaves, rose petals, rose hips, sweet grass, lavender buds, small pieces of aromatic barks and other things you collect that might add scent or visual appeal to a potpourri mixture. Most of these things can simply be left in a warm dry place to dry. To keep colors nice, dry potpourri ingredients out of strong light.

Most potpourri making instructions call for using a fixative – generally orris root, which can be found in craft stores or on line. But you don’t absolutely need a fixative if you keep each potpourri mixture for only a short time- say a month or two and replenish it. Store your dry ingredients in tightly closed containers until you use them. Tossing your decorative ingredients with a couple teaspoons of cinnamon can work as a fixative if you like the cinnamon smell. You can also use spice mixes like apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice as a fixative and for their scent.

To make potpourri smell nice use essential oils sprinkled on things like small pinecones, pieces of bark or other porous items that you include in your mixture. Even a few wood shavings sprinkled with essential oils can be mixed into potpourri. The essential oils will give you a wider range of scents and the scent will last longer than some natural ingredients. Kitchen ingredients like vanilla or lemon extract can also be used to soak or dip potpourri items into.

Using dried beans

There are many beautiful colored dry beans or peas on the market or maybe you grew some unique beans this year. These dry beans can be layered in pretty glass jars for attractive decorative accents. If the container was clean and it’s kept dry and covered the beans could be cooked later. Or dried beans can be placed in shallow containers to hold the stems of dry flowers.

Dried beans have also been turned into jewelry and used to make colorful artistic collages. Children often enjoy playing with a jar of colorful dried beans- gluing them on paper to make pictures or on jars or boxes for gifts. Just make sure they don’t stick them up their nose!

Making Raisins

Raisins are simply dried grapes, but there is a trick to making good raisins. Turning grapes into raisins is a great way to preserve grapes, other than making jelly or wine. Raisins are a nutritious healthy snack, especially if you make your own. This recipe is adapted from my book –Knacks Canning, Preserving & Pickling.

Here’s what you need;

• 6 pounds grapes, any color, seedless are best, fully ripe and sweet

• 1½ cups water

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1/2 cup mild, light honey

• Food dehydrator

• Storage bags or jars to hold about 3 cups of raisins

Directions: Wash grapes. If the grapes have seeds, cut in half and remove seeds.

Bring water to boil and stir in sugar to dissolve. Cool to barely warm, add honey, and stir well.

Soak grapes in honey mix for 5 minutes. Drain. Arrange grapes on dehydrator trays.

Follow dehydrator directions for drying. Expect 15-20 hours drying time. Store dried grapes in tightly sealed containers.

About The Honey Dip

Choose honey that is light colored and mild flavored for this dip. It must be real honey- the bottle should say pure honey and it should not contain corn syrup. Pasteurized honey can work but raw honey is better. Make sure the sugar water is cool before adding honey.

All honey could be substituted for sugar but the raisins will have a strong honey flavor.

This recipe makes about 2 cups of honey dip. You may need to double the amount to cover all the grapes.

Let the excess honey dip drip off the grapes before arranging them on dehydrator trays.

An alternative to the honey dip- lower calorie

Some people don’t like honey; others may wish to reduce the calories of the raisins a bit. So here’s another treatment for grapes before turning them into raisins.

Bring water to a boil. Dip the grapes in a colander into the boiling water for 30 seconds, and then quickly plunge into ice water. Drain. Add 1 teaspoon of ascorbic acid (canning supplies), or 6 crushed, plain, 500 mg. Vitamin C tablets to each two cups of water; stir to dissolve. You need enough to cover the grapes. Soak grapes for 5 minutes, then drain and begin drying process.

Storing Your Raisins

Make sure raisins are perfectly dry before storing. Package the raisins in small quantities. If some mold, only that package will need to be discarded.

Use glass or food grade plastic containers with tight lids for storage. Recycled food containers are fine if they are washed with hot water and soap and dried.

Raisins may also be packaged with a vacuum type food bags. Store all containers out of direct sunlight.

Uses for dried sweet woodruff

Sweet woodruff

Sweet woodruff is a plant that grows well in shady areas as a groundcover. The flowers are used to flavor wine in the spring. But sweet woodruff can also be used to help keep moths off stored clothes and linens while leaving them with a pleasant scent. Simply dry the foliage of sweet woodruff for a few days and then place in in your drawers and closets among the clothes.

If someone in your family has smelly shoes or boots dry lots of sweet woodruff foliage and pack the smelly shoes or boots with it for a few days. You can powder the dried sweet woodruff foliage in a food processor and use it as a foot or shoe powder also.

Uses for dried hops

Hop cones or flower heads are most commonly used for beer making. Some people don’t make beer even though they have a hop plant or two or they have more hop cones then they need for beer. There are other uses for those hop cones though.

Hops (Humulus lupulus),are closely related to marihuana and they also produce aromatic oils in their buds and to some extent their foliage. While hops won’t get you high the hop cones will make you sleepy if you sniff them because the aromatic oils contain a mild sedative. Hop pillows are made for those who have trouble sleeping and they are also said to produce pleasant dreams.

To make a hop sleep aid you can simply enclose hop cones in a small cheesecloth or thin cotton bag and sleep with the bag close to your nose. Or you can make a more elaborate pillow using hop cones and other herbs like lavender packed with cotton, goose down, spun fibers or shredded foam to make a pillow you actually sleep on. Be aware that these pillows will lose their potency over time and can’t be washed. That’s why the packets seem more practical. Make several, store the unused ones in a closed jar and replace the packet on the bed every few weeks.

Dried hops also have medicinal uses. Made into a tea with other herbs or sugar to disguise the bitter taste hop tea can be used for indigestion. Hop tea has antiseptic properties and can also be used for bladder infections and as a skin wash for wounds. The tea is also used as a sedative and to calm the nerves. Sometimes hop cones are steeped in warm wine or sherry for the calming and sedative effects also.

Dried cleavers seeds

Clevers (Galium aparine)- are a common weed found nearly everywhere. They are also called bedstraw, or goose grass. The plants are sprawling, floppy things. The stems of cleavers are have tiny prickles and are square. The leaves are small and narrow and occur in whorls around the stem.

Clever plant- en.wikipedia.

Clevers seed pods. en.wikipedia.com

Clever flowers are inconspicuous greenish things. The tiny round two compartment seeds that form have little bristles that cling to fur or clothes much like a bur. If you like natural foraging or want to be prepared for all emergency situations that come up you might want to collect the tiny seeds of clevers when you find them. Clevers is usually found in moist, partially shaded areas.

Clever seeds can be used as a coffee substitute. The small seeds are washed and rubbed to remove the sticky green pod and then the black hard seeds are spread on a cookie sheet and toasted at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes. The roasted seeds can then be ground and brewed like coffee.

You can use any left over, cooled cleavers coffee or brew up an especially strong batch as a deodorant. Simply soak a cotton ball in it and rub under your arms. You can also use it to wash smelly feet. Clevers coffee or tea is also said to be good for skin problems like rashes and minor wounds and softens the hands if soaked in it.

Growing Diascia (Nope not dried)

Diascia, sometimes known as Twinspur, is a newcomer to the bedding plant world. This beautiful flowering plant was virtually unheard of a few years ago, but diascia has much to offer and is easy to grow. Diascia is an excellent bedding, container or basket plant. It is also a good, low growing bedding plant to use in rock gardens and spilling over retaining walls.

Diascia

Diascia came to us from South Africa, where over 70 species exist. It is a close relative to the snapdragon. Recently plant breeders began working with diascia, crossing several species to produce wonderful varieties for your garden.

Diascia has small, slightly oval leaves of dark green. Some varieties are upright and some produce trailing type plants. Modern varieties range from about 6 inches to a foot high and can spread to 18 inches wide.

Each tiny diascia flower is a marvel. They are small, about a half-inch or so across, and come in a wide range of colors from pastel apricots, corals, and plums, to magenta and wine red shades and the plants bloom quite freely. There is one large petal on top. There is a petal on each side; each has a projection to the back that looks like a hollow horn, or spur-, which gives diascia the common name of Twinspur. And there is a larger split petal on the bottom.

The bottom petal on the diascia flower has a small depression, shiny and yellow in most colors, right under the diascia flower’s sexual organs. It reminds one of an oval swimming pool set in the plush petal. The spurs and the pool contain nectar glands to attract pollinators. The diascia is self-infertile, and needs to have pollen from another plant to set seed.

Diascia is actually a short-lived perennial, but is often treated as an annual. The hardiness of the plants is yet to be fully determined. In Michigan plants bloom outside until Thanksgiving in zone 5 gardens, through several light frosts. When a hard freeze threatens, bring them into an unheated but above freezing place, where they go semi-dormant. They revive in the spring, put on a flush of growth and go back to flowering. Or you can simply let them perish like annuals.

Diascia seed is seldom offered for sale. If you do find some, sow the seed 6-8 weeks before your last frost indoors. It needs light to germinate so just press seeds lightly into sterile medium. Keep moist and germination should take place in about 20 days. Most diascia is started from cuttings and gardeners will find several types and many colors on sale in nurseries now.

Diascia likes cool weather and blooms best in spring and fall. Plant diascia outside after danger of frost is over, although hardy in the fall spring plants have been in a greenhouse and haven’t adapted. Plants grown in greenhouses and then set outside without a period of hardening off will be killed by frost. They will bloom all summer if conditions are cool; otherwise bloom may slow down or cease until cooler weather. In fall they will bloom for a long time, adding color after most colorful flowers are gone.

Plant diascia in sun or partial shade. While diascia will need some fertilization, especially in containers and baskets, use a light hand, as too much fertilization will produce more foliage than flowers. Use a low nitrogen fertilizer. Keep diascia moist, but don’t over water, as it quickly succumbs to wet feet. Pinching or cutting the plants back if they get lanky will encourage full plants and more bloom.

Some varieties of diascia

Several series are being marketed. Sunchimes, Flying Colors, Wink, and Whisper series all come in several colors. Slightly older varieties include Hopley’s Apricot, Rubyfields, Little Charmer and Twinkler.

Why not join a garden club? Lapeer Area Horticulture Society welcomes you

If you like gardening of any kind and like to talk to other gardeners face to face why not join a garden club? The Lapeer Area Horticulture Society welcomes new members from anywhere in Michigan. They meet in the Lapeer area every third Monday at 6:30 pm in various locations. At the meetings members generally hear a short educational presentation, or participate in activities like plant or seed swaps.

You’ll get a chance to network with gardeners of all sorts and of all degrees of expertise. The Lapeer Area Horticulture Society doesn’t require you to take classes or perform volunteer work to join and dues are only $20.00 per year. All gardeners new or experienced are invited to join. The club has been in operation since 1982. If you are interested in becoming a member please contact Julie Schroder 810-728-2269, or email julie.nascar@netzero.net

People can’t be dried to preserve them- stay hydrated.